The Difference of Blood
by feathersandbraids
Summary: There was never an intention to get caught. He was supposed to be protected by those around him, and they had failed, and now his life laid in the hands of a bushy headed brunette he had tormented. He'd find out that her life relied on him as well.
1. Chapter 1

"It doesn't have to be this way." The voice the greeted his ear was low and soft. It purred into his ear, and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The heat from her breath made him shiver and he wished more than anything that he could see who it was. The only comfort he had was that it was someone familiar. Her voice sounded like someone he had heard a thousand times, but was unsure of who. No matter the repeated amount of times he searched his brain for the answer, it never came to him. It was pointless anyway, anyone it may have been he hadn't spoken to in over a year since he left school. "You aren't in a position to resist. Just work with us. With me."

"C-can…Can you uncover my eyes?" He licked his bottom lip, still swollen from the beating he had taken earlier. He heard a shift in fabric and then a sigh.

"No. I don't think that would be a good idea. You might get angry, you might start fighting us again." She sighed again and shifted from foot to foot, feeling awkward standing in front of him.

"I won't, I swear. Anything, please." He hated to result to begging, but without his sight, he felt vulnerable and uneasy. Not that he wouldn't feel that way anyway, but this heightened the feeling.

"I..I don't think.." There was a huff of air. "You'll be unhappy if I touch you. But I'm the only one who was willing to come in here and talk to you, Malfoy."

"What do you mean?" His breath caught as he tried even harder to figure out who it was.

"No one wanted to speak with you. No one wanted you to be given a chance, or a way out, or anything like that. Everyone just wanted you dead. Bu-but, I couldn't live with that. I couldn't live anyone doing the exact thing we're fighting. I don't like you, Malfoy, but I wasn't willing to let anyone murder you. If I hadn't said anything…" She was quiet and the sadness was thick in her voice. Not as though she was going to cry, but like she had been awake for a very long time thinking about very sad things. She sounded exhausted.

It hit him like a ton of bricks, the air in his lungs was trapped and he started to panic. She could do whatever she wanted to him. Hit him, kick him, spit on him, and here she was, apparently having spoken for him, keeping him safe. Something he hadn't even attempted for her. Something he hadn't even given her the dignity of having. Instead he had cringed and looked away.

"Granger." He breathed. Her silence confirmed it. He grew even more uncomfortable, and started breathing harder. "Take the blindfold off." There was no movement in front of him, and he began to pull against his restraints, thrashing his head side to side. "Take it off, take it off! Fuck, just take the stupid thing off of me."

"You have to stop thrashing around. I won't do anything if I think you're going to trying something." Immediately all of his movements stopped. He felt her hands shake as she reached around him, the heat radiating off her body, and it stilled him even more. And then suddenly, she was gone, but it was still dark. He realized that his eyes were clenched close, scared of her and what the sight would bring and he felt the want for her to put the blindfold back on, hoping to protect himself from the blow he was about to receive. Slowly he opened his eyes, it took a minute for them to adjust to light that now flooded them.

She looked worse than he remembered. Hermione was covered in a layer of grime, her lips split, swollen and red. She was sporting a black eye, and her hair was singed. Her pants were ripped in the knees (which were just as dirty as her face), and her shirt hung loosely from her tiny frame. Her left arm was wrapped in a bandage and held close to her stomach. It hurt just to look at her, and then he found he could look at her no longer. Her chestnut eyes had pierced his grey ones in a death stare as he took her in and he felt uncomfortable. He had to look away from her, just as he had the last time when she had given him that sad pleading look, begging for him to save _her_, Hermione Granger, top of their year, kind to everyone, made the enemy because of her blood. The exception this time was that her eyes held no feeling. He felt sick, he felt disgusted, and most of all disgusting.

"You're going to have to work with us. If not, then you get taken into custody, held until the end of all this and into a cell at Azkaban." Hermione spoke. The thought that he could see her was unnerving both of them. He refused to look back at her, instead focusing his eyes on a tiny window on the side wall.

"No." He muttered. "I won't."

"You don't have a choice." She spat. "We'll make you help us one way or another, hexes and curses might be your lot's specialty, but we have ways of persuasion too."

His head hung, eyelids feeling heavy. He just wanted her to leave him alone, tied to the chair and have Harry or Ron come in and teach him a lesson. He wanted anyone but her.

"I can't." It was almost whined. Exasperated and annoyed and sick of this fucking war. "I can't even help the side I'm supposed to be on, let alone all of you. Nor would I want to." His temper flared suddenly. He had grown tired of people always trying to tell him what to do, when to do it and how. Sick of being everyone's fall boy. He didn't want this anymore, he wanted none of it.

"I'm offering you an out." She snapped. "Malfoy, if you did this...if you just bloody sit around and pretend you're helping, they'll spare you, you'll be seen as an asset, not a threat."

"I am a threat, Granger! That's all they'll ever see me as. Before…before, I was just some stupid kid up to his knees in boiling water, and now? Now, I've proven that I am bad, proven that…I…can't even…. ARGH!" He threw his head back and fought the ropes again, swaying from side trying to free himself. "Just let them off me. Just let them have me, put me out of my fucking misery."

Their eyes met again, watching each other attentively. Her jaw set and her eyes grew cold.

"If I have to suffer through this, so do you. I won't, and I wouldn't, give you the dignity of allowing you to die." She turned on her heel and headed out the door, pausing at the doorway. "When you change your mind, just yell." The door clicked closed after her. Draco could hear quiet arguing outside of it, and then a thump and the house went quiet.

Draco stared at the ceiling, replaying all the events trying to figure out where he went wrong, and what had led to this. His arms ached from being pinned behind him, and he desperately wanted to stretch his legs. The only inclination he had of passing time was because of the window as it started to grow dark. He closed his eyes and tried to figure a way out, the last thing he remembered was how empty she had looked.

He inhaled sharply and jerked at the slamming of a door. Hermione was leaning against the wall, frowning at him.

"Sleep well?" She asked politely. He shrugged the best he could. She breathed in deeply, and he watched the rise and fall of her chest. And then she was walking over to him. "I'm willing to work with you, if you're willing to work with me, Malfoy. But you have to meet me halfway."

"What are you doing?" He asked, alarmed and if not a bit frantically as she stepped behind him. He tried to turn his head to look at her, cricking it in the process.

"Taking the first step." There was a distinct loosening around his wrists and he realized that she had cut him loose. She knelt in front of him, and fidgeted with the knots, unsteady hands trying to untie them.

"Here, let me." He muttered leaning down, relaxing as he was able to stretch his back. She sat back on her heels and watched him deftly untie the knots, before she stood. He looked up at her suspiciously as she held out her hand. He grasp it, taking note of how rough it felt, and allowed her to pull him up. He instantly knew why she had offered the hand, as his knees tried to give out and he was forced to grab her for support. Her arm snaked around his waist, helping him find his feet. As soon as she was sure he wouldn't collapse to the ground, she pulled away from him and took three steps back, putting a safe amount of distance from him. Her hand rested where he assumed her wand was sitting for quick access.

"So." Hermione frowned again, trying to decide best what to say. "Will you help us? Or at least humor me, and say you will?"

Draco sighed. "I don't want to, Granger. I don't want any part of this anymore."

"You don't have a choice."

"You keep fucking saying that. I deserve a choice!" He snapped.

"You got one once! Remember? When you had Dumbledore killed? Or did you not choose that, Malfoy?"

"You have no idea what you're on about or what I've had to do. Don't you dare for one second think you have any idea!" He roared. Her wand was out in a heartbeat and he shrunk back from it.

"I know that a stupid boy got a power trip and did some horrible things, and didn't try to correct them no matter his chances to do so."

"No one asked me if it was what I wanted! No one said to me, 'Draco would you like to do this?' It was always 'Do it or we'll kill you, we'll kill your family and anyone who is close to you'. That's not a choice, Granger. But you wouldn't understand because you've never been in that position. Your stupid, muggle family has never been in any danger!" His breathing had increased and he was fighting the desire to scream at her. He tried to level his thinking, and figure out what to say next. Figure out what was _right_ to say next.

"That's bollocks and you know it!" Hermione yelled. "My family has been in just as much threat as yours. You think it's safe running round with the chosen one and his best mate? You think we aren't threatened every single second of everyday? Well you're bloody wrong, Draco Malfoy. And you want to whine about choices? We're giving you a chance to make a choice, to help yourself out, and you won't take it.

"You're so proud of yourself, Malfoy. So bloody proud of the blood that runs through your body that you don't care what happens as long as you're safe. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You've made choices. You can't say you haven't, and you've picked whatever was easiest even if it was at other's expense. "

"There is nothing easy about this war. You know it and I know it. You're bloody right I protected myself, because I'm the only person I can depend on. You think my father would do the things I've done for this family? No! _He_ cares only about himself. Not my mother, nor I. I have to take care of us. I have to make sure we get out alive. Does it make me happy to do the things I've done? Of course not. If things could be different, I would have done them differently, I would have tried to save other people, and I wouldn't have stood around waiting for the change to happen."

"And pray tell Malfoy, would you have tried to save me? Would you have jinxed your Auntie, and stop her from torturing me? Or would you have pretended, it wasn't happing in the middle of your sitting room and stared out the window again?" Her voice dripped heavy with anger and loathing, and just barely, a desperation for him to say what she wanted to hear. They were both breathing heavy, her wand still pointing at him, though her arm was no longer as rigid as it had first been. He found himself so continually struck by how much this wasn't the girl he used to know.

"I don't know what I would have done." It hung harshly in the air.

"I think that…" she seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "I think, you would always be okay with that. Me knowing my place in the world. And now I have a lovely inscription on my arm to remind me of it for the rest of my life. I think that will always be okay with you." She huffed out a laugh. "You know what. I don't even care anymore. I am past having the ability to care, about this, about you, about this goddamn battle we've always been in. I'm tired of everything, and tired of trying to make you see reason. " She pushed a loose piece of hair out of her eyes. "I'm going to leave this room, tell Harry you wouldn't speak to me, and they can fucking deal with you. I tried, and you bit the hand that fed you. I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not."

And once again, he watched the brunette abandon him in the dark room.


	2. Chapter 2

He pounded on the wall, the door, the window. Fist after fist raining down blows as he screamed, trying to get their attention. He screamed for Potter, for Weasley, for Granger. Screamed for his mother, and screamed for himself. Screamed until his throat was raw and he was struggling to breathe. After ten minutes of pounding, his head rested against the door and he gave a dry sob, and one last weak slap to the door.

"Please." He whispered, needing to hear the sound of someone's voice. "Just let me out."

He saw no one, bar a hand, food was shoved through a small opening in the door. He didn't know how long he had been in the room, wagering that it had been several day. He jumped as the door knob rattled.

"Move away from the door, Malfoy." A voice snapped harshly. It was deep and rough, and he recognized it instantly. Draco stepped away from the door quickly, shrinking back to the wall. The door swung open revealing the raven haired boy, and they glared daggers at each other before Harry huffed a hollow laugh and sat in the chair in the center of the room. "Hermione told me she tried to talk sense into you. That you wouldn't give. I find that that is unfortunate, really."

"You're damn right, I won't give in. I'm not going to be your lot's bitch." Draco spat. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look Malfoy, we all think you're a slimy git, we don't want you as our bitch. Basically, since you are unwilling to work with us, we've been left with no options. I'll just lay it out for you. We're gonna let you out of this room, and into a secluded part of the house, namely the top floor. You will be confined there at all times, with someone guarding you at all times. I don't know why, but Hermione has volunteered for the job." He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. "The rest of us are leaving for some time. I have things I need to accomplish, and frankly, playing nicey nice with you, is just annoying the shit out of me. You're lucky though, because I was not opposed to someone just ridding us of you. Would make things a lot easier. I'm not a big fan of prisoners, that's more You-Know-who's style."

Draco surveyed him, but didn't speak. He acknowledged the possibility of Hermione staying because of what she had said the second time he saw her. _I'm tired of everything_. But what did "everything" cover, the war? The mission the three had set upon themselves? This life that she had stumbled into when they were eleven? He couldn't help but wonder what she meant.

Harry stood, and pulled the door open, stepping to the side. "Let's go." He said, motioning for Draco to leave the room first. He led the blonde up three sets of stairs, and the area where Draco would presumably be staying for the duration of the war. "There are charms and enchantments. You'll be unable to leave, though Hermione can come and go. Her room is off limits, you can't enter unless invited and that is unlikely to happen. After all this is over, you'll be set a court date, and we'll never seen you again."

"Then I can only hope it happens very quickly." Draco drawled, looking out the window. It was Autumn, and the leaves on the tree had changed color. The air that wafted in, was chilly and sweet, and he closed his eyes against it, remembering what it felt like to be alone, to be free of this. To live in a different time where he was safe from the world. His door clicked shut as Harry left him standing in the room. And in that moment, he felt better than he had in a long time. He felt convinced that this was right.

"Get up." Hermione's voice pierced his dreams, nightmares, whatever it was he was experiencing. When he did move, she pinched his foot. "Get up Malfoy." He made a dissatisfied noise and opened one groggy eye. She was planted at the foot of his bed, hair awry, looking on edge.

"What do you want?" He muttered, clearing his throat.

"For you to get up."

"Obviously Granger, but what's your point in making me get up? Not like I'm of any use."

She gave a huffy laugh. "You'd be surprised. I'm supposed to be briefing you on what's going on. And as it's 8 AM, I'm ready for this debriefing and you're going to be conscious for it."

Hermione gave Draco one last haughty look and left the room. Her footsteps were soft, and it surprised him. She looked as though she was carrying something heavy, and he had expected everything about her to match that. It unnerved him and reminded him that he didn't trust her. He angrily pulled some clothes on, and forced himself down the hall. She was sitting at a desk, head turned away from the door, as she wrote on a piece of paper. He watched her quietly, as she shuffled through books and looked every bit herself as he could remember. The stubborn, know-it-all girl that he loathed.

"You can sit down, you know." He cocked an eyebrow at her, before rolling his eyes and planting himself in the chair furthest away from her. She sighed and looked up at him, lacing her fingers together. "It's all relatively the same. There was a battle, there have been five deaths. Two who were working with Voldemort, three for the Order."

Draco stared at her blankly, wanting to ask who was dead but not wanting to break his pride. She spared him the battle.

"Deatheaters Nott and Malfoy were killed. Ours were George Weasley, Seamus Finnigan, and Cho Chang. Malfoy Manor was destroyed in the battle. Fire." She added as an afterthought. He was surprised at how detached Hermione was, unmoved by the death of their classmates, her best friend's brother. He wanted to ask which of his parents were dead, but that would be admitting that he was concerned, and he refused to appear anything but cold as stone in front of her. She stared at him for a moment longer, before picking up her quill and returning to what she was doing. He took that as a sign for him to leave. He had just reached the door when her voice reached his ears again.

"It was your father." She said. Draco licked his lips relieved that it wasn't his mother, pausing only for a moment and then continued on, as though nothing had been said. He was well down the hall when he could have sworn he heard her crying.

* * *

><p>Hermione was repetitive. It was the first thing Draco noted. A week in and she woke him up at the same time everyday and managed to rip open wounds and pour salt in them while she delved out blows of deaths and destruction in a world where they no longer really belonged. She kept that cold demeanor towards him that he happily returned. He began getting up before her, and settling himself in the sitting room before she had the chance to order him around. He wanted to get a rise out of her, ignite some anger within her and make her lash out. The outward silence that she brought was unnerving. He stopped listening to her, some days would hide in one of the many rooms of the flat. But she never came looking for him. So he had every reason to be shocked when he awoke to her sitting across from him in one of the empty bedrooms. In the middle of night while he was feeling restless, he had made his way here, and ended up falling asleep.<p>

"You're not very bright are you?" She snapped. "Do you know I could curse you for disappearing? You might think you're clever not showing up to our meetings and hiding from me, but it makes you look weak." Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Me, weak?" He pretended to be appalled, "This coming from the girl who cries every hour of the day." Her eyes flashed with some unknown emotion.

"Lack of emotion doesn't make you stronger than me," She spat. "All it does is make you sadistic, because I'm sure you get some weird kick out of other people's pain."

He watched her idly, trying to think of something to retort with, the moment to do so slipping further and further away from him.

"I don't get a kick out of other people's pain. Just yours, mudblood." He smirked wickedly as the comment hit home. He had enough time to register the rage on her face before his cheek screamed as it burned. He licked his bottom lip, and raised a hand to the mark the hex had left. "Attacking an unarmed prisoner, I never thought you would sink so low Granger. "

She rolled her eyes in response. "Did Mummy teach you to not use such bad words, Malfoy? Or was she far too busy slaving for your father to pay you any notice or show you any love? She must have real tough knees." Draco moved across the room in under a second, just centimeters from Hermione's face.

"Don't speak about my mother, Granger. You know nothing of what she's done for me." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Hermione placed her hand on his chest and pushed him backwards, "remember I still have my wand." He wanted so badly to hit her. He wanted her to feel everything he felt and more, and realize how lucky she had it. He wanted her to be someone else, someone who wasn't connected to him. Someone who wouldn't abandon him in dark rooms, and leave him to his own devices because Merlin, if she didn't destroy him, he'd end up destroying himself.

_ Her hands ran through his hair, kneading and pulling, as he leaned over her. He watched the rise and fall of her chest, as her breathing increased. His hands grasped her waist, feeling the softness of her skin. His mouth attacked a spot on her neck that pulled a sound from her throat and sent shivers down his spine. Their movements became move frantic, and he buried his face in her hair, breathing in her smell, trying to capture her in this moment._

_ "Draco." She whispered. "Draco, "_

_ "Hm?" He responded, kissing her shoulder._

_ "We're going to die here."_

His eyes opened. The white of the ceiling blinded him in the sunlight. He fumbled for his watch, trying to check the time, trying to figure out why Hermione hadn't come to wake him up. It was 2 in afternoon. He threw his head back against the pillow and then did it again, letting out a frustrated roar. It wasn't the first time he had the dream, but he was continually confused by it. "Can't leave me fucking alone in my dreams either." He thought to himself disgruntled. The annoyance covered the immense frightened feeling he felt.

Draco was convinced that he would die here. He was sure of it. His lack of cooperation would inevitably get back to the Order, and they would get rid of him. He told himself that it was okay, and a part of him believed it. But then he found himself making plans, ways to overtake Hermione, steal her wand and escape this place. Plans to find his way home, to a home that no longer existed. Every time he got up the nerve to do it, Hermione gave him a look. Many times, it was the same one, a small frown with eyes that said she had given up. This frightened him as well. If the Golden Trio's smartest had given up, what did that mean for him? Was it time for them all to give up? These were the questions that plagued him, and ate at his soul. These were the questions that made him consider being different. And then there was the fact that she had protected him, when she hadn't needed to. He thought of reaching out to her, telling her he would help, but fear kept him stuck in roots, and unwilling to change for anyone.

* * *

><p>Draco heard the yelling before he realized who it was. Hermione's voice reached new levels as she screamed at someone. Or was it to someone? He wanted to peak his head out into the hallway, curiosity eating at him. He heard mumbling and then more yelling.<p>

"I WANT TO GO WITH YOU!" She yelled. "I don't care if it's not safe. I don't care if you're worried about my goddamn well being, Ronald." The use of the name piqued Draco's interest further and he cracked the door. Sure enough, the red headed boy was standing in the hall, leaning against a wall, looking as though his mother was scolding him.

"Harry thinks that it would do you good to get some more rest. You went through something horrific, Hermione. It's going to hit at some point and you can't be in a stressful situation when it does. You could die." Ron looked tired, and ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

"I don't care. Plenty of people are tortured and go right back into battle. No one else is fucking coddled."  
>"You aren't just someone else! Do you realize what could happen if they get their hands on you again? You're valuable to the cause, to both sides because you have things that can be used."<br>"This isn't fair!"

"War isn't fair! We can't lose you. Merlin, Hermione, it would kill me if we did."

Draco couldn't see her face, but it was evident she had given Ron a look that struck a chord in him. His face wrinkled in concern and he pulled her into him. He buried his face in her hair. "Just stay a couple more weeks. Relax. We'll get you back in the game soon enough. We still need you."

She pulled back wiping her eyes, and letting out an exhausted breath. "Fine." She said crossing her arms, "But only a couple more weeks, or I'll leave Malfoy here and come find you myself." At his name, Draco closed the door with an audible click that he was sure the duo would have heard, but neither came to investigate. He felt strange. Seeing them together had evoked something in him that he could quite pinpoint except to recognize how alone he was here, without no one really on his side, no one who would die for him, or lock him in an ivory tower for his protection as opposed to him being a threat. And it made him angry, so angry he started to act without thinking, trying to break everything his hands could touch and hoping at some point it would begin to hurt and perhaps he'd be able to feel something else.

Hermione came to his room a short time later. After the anger had subsided, and the voices in the house grew silent, a solitary door slammed, as the ginger boy took his leave and disappeared back into the world. She had knocked softly, as if scared that Draco would yell at her. He merely cracked the door and a pair of brown eyes looked up at him. He sighed and rolled his own.

"Can I help you, Granger?"

"I…um. Sorry…I" She bit her lip.

"Out with it. What. Do. You. Want?"

"I heard you earlier."

"Okay, and? I'm perfectly capable of kicking things if I want." Even he knew how lame that sounded. Her eyebrow twitched and he waited for her to come back with some snarky response, but none came.

"Are you okay?" A hand pushed the door lightly, and it swung to reveal the room which was in tatters. She frowned and waved her wand, righting everything.

"You don't really care." He tapped his fingers on the table he was standing next to, unnerved by her closeness.

"Well…um… I'm going to order take-away. If you would like some."

"Why would I want any of that? Do I have to interact with you?"  
>"You don't have to. I'll send an elf to you." She turned to leave, and he felt anxious not wanting to lose the moment.<p>

"Granger-?" She turned and looked at him, head tilted to the side, slightly curious, waiting. "what's take-away?" She gave a laugh, and motioned for him to follow her.

They settled themselves with boxes of Chinese food in the kitchen. She sat on the chair with her legs pulled into a crisscross, helping herself to the abundant amount of food. Draco didn't move to take anything, and she leaned back, eyeing him. When she had shown him the menu, he grew alarmed, having never experienced anything like it. After explaining what it was, the most she had been able to get out of him was that he liked spicy food, and so had ordered everything that she thought he might like. It had taken a lot of energy to not insult his upbringing in the process by suggesting that perhaps he thought he was too good for this sort of food.

"You can have whatever you like." She said, taking a bite of noodles. He stared at her before grabbing the box closest to him and putting some food on his plate. He unfolded a napkin and placed it on his lap, before taking his knife and fork and cutting up the food into small manageable pieces delicately. "Do you always eat like that?"

He glared at her. "Unlike some of us, I was raised to eat like a gentleman."

Hermione snorted before shaking her head. "You are the furthest thing from a gentleman."

"You wouldn't know."

"Well, Malfoy, considering you call me horrendous names, and treat me, in general, like shit, I'd say that's not very gentleman like." Draco bit his tongue, trying to avoid conflict but took the bait.

"Did you get me out here just to harass me, Granger? Try and make me angry, needed someone to irritate because you can't be off irritating your lovely friends?" Her face grew solemn and she pushed the food around with her fork.

"I was sick of being alone." She said softly, before rising. "I'm sorry I thought for maybe a moment, we'd be able to forget that we hated each other and just be people stuck in this house with one another. Obviously, I overestimated you." The plate clattered into the sink, and the door gave a _swoosh_ as she disappeared through it. Draco closed his eyes, fist clenched, before pushing his plate away from angrily and burying his face in his palms.

When Draco finally swallowed his pride and followed after her, she had seemingly disappeared from the flat. He wondered if she had left, against the advice of her friends and whoever else had told her to stay. As he paced the hall, trying to figure out where she may have gone, he paused at the top of the steps. His foot barely peaked over the top step, and a loud blaring picked up. Draco jumped as a burning sensation went through his foot. Jumping on one foot, he covered his ears as the blaring got louder. His back hit a wall as a body tackled him out of nowhere.

"What in Merlin's name were you thinking?" Hermione snapped, wand out and pointed at him. The blaring had stopped as had the pain left his foot.

"What do you mean? I came looking for you!"  
>"And so you tried to go downstairs? Wow, good excuse."<p>

"Eurgh, no! I was standing at the top and-"

"Your feet just happened to go down on their own accord!"

"NO!" He roared. "I must've stood to close to the edge. I was standing there wondering if you had left, since I bloody couldn't find you up here." She eyed him suspiciously, not sure she believed what he was saying.

"Really?"

"Yes, really! I didn't realize you were so thick, Granger." Draco rubbed his ear trying to get the ringing to stop.

"I'm not thick. And I'm not the one who just set off a million freaking charms and alarms." Hermione turned away from him, retreating into the room he surmised she had come from. He followed after her, and she turned back around. "What are you doing?"

"I just told you, I was looking for you."

"Well, what do you want then?" She rested a hand on her hip, looking at him expectantly. He tried to pick apart what she was thinking, whether she believed he was lying or not and if it mattered.

"I suppose, I wanted to apologize. You were right, being here and not talking to anyone is driving me bonkers. I guess we could pretend we're just two people."

"Ah, and what do you want out of it, Malfoy?" She got the tired look he had grown used to again.

"Nothing. Something, I don't know. Company? Someone to talk to occasionally about stupid things."

"I don't want to play house with you."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm just… I don't know. Can we just not avoid each other anymore?" She was virtually unreadable. The seconds that passed were absolutely agonizing, he knew she was going to laugh any minute and tell him to sod off. He felt that need to interact with her again, to try and prove something to her.

"Fine. I study in library from 8-11, and then 2-8." He closed his eyes for a moment, the bloody library. Figured. "Lunch is at noon. Dinner at 5. Unless it's one of those times, don't come looking for me. And if I'm studying, I won't want to 'talk.'"

"Okay." He said. Her eyes bore into his until he felt uncomfortable. "Um. Alright then, see you in the morning." He turned down the hall and as his fingers wrapped around the door handle glanced back at her. She was still planted in the center of the hall watching him. He shook his head, and closed himself off into the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco found himself standing outside of the study for twenty minutes before gathering the nerve to go inside. He didn't find himself frightened of many things, but she scared him, plain and simple. It hit him in the middle of the night. He was frightened of everything about her, of the things she was capable of, and the things that had shaped her.

She was sitting at the desk like usual. Her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, cheek resting on them as she faced away, looking out the window. It was sunny, and the air that rushed in was crisp and smelled of fall.

"Good morning." He felt guilty disturbing her, but didn't feel right not alerting her to his presence. She didn't move, and for a moment he was worried something had happened to her. Finally she turned and acknowledged him.

"Morning." The sound was soft, and empty, spoken just because it was proper to say. He took the far seat, peering at the books piled next to it. When it was clear she didn't plan on talking to him, he selected one and buried himself into it. For hours it was quiet. The only sound being their breathing and the scratching of her quill. He tried to ignore how painful it was to be in the same room with her. It felt stuffy and Draco felt on edge. Hermione would sigh, and return to her folded up position, disappearing into some far off place in her head. This went on for some time before she got up and left the room. Draco frowned and then he stood, and returned to his room.

They went through this process for several days. Draco would find himself in the library waiting for her, and she would either show up or stay locked in her room. She was holding a secret defiance against someone, trying to punish everyone who she felt had wronged her. Draco figured he fell into that category. But still, he returned to the library, in hopes of the company, and tried to keep himself entertained.

"Why do you keep coming in here?" Her voice sank in, and he looked up at her.

"Well, you know, we had that conversation the other day, and I assumed that you were there for that."

"Unfortunately." She gave him a harsh look, and he laughed.

"Bloody mind games. You know what Granger, Fine. I'll just stay in my bloody room, and hopefully when all this _shit_ is over, I will never have to see your face again."

"Good. Because I would like nothing more than to never see, speak or hear from you again."

"Glad to know you've grown up!" He stood, towering over her.  
>"Ugh! I hate you. I really really hate you Malfoy. This is your fault! All your fault because you have no guts. Because you don't know how to be a fucking man. You'd rather watch a girl be tortured to death, than try and help her, all because Mummy and Daddy taught you she was dirty and worthless. Right, Malfoy? Isn't that exactly it?"<p>

"You have _no clue_ the things I've gone through or the things I've seen!" He yelled.

"You have no clue the things I've seen! You've lived in the freaking lap of luxury, while people have been dying all around you!"

"You don't know what you're on about."

"I'm so sick of seeing your face!" Hermione's eyes clouded with tears. Draco wasn't even sure why she was yelling at her, and it dawned on him that she didn't know either. "For 8 years, I've had to deal with you and your stupidity, and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of everything. I just want to be with them, I just want to help. I don't want to be here." Her body shook as she sob, "I would give anything to be able to leave you here to fend for yourself. I don't know why I helped you. I don't know why I thought that was a good idea. All I've learned is people do not change, you are inherently good or bad. And you, Draco Malfoy are bad."

His pride took a blow. He didn't think of himself as bad, just someone who had bad luck. The urge to hit her overcame him again.

"Well, I'm glad you think that Granger. Since you said it, it must be fucking true because you know absolutely everything about absolutely everyone!" He gave a hollow laugh, "If we had to go back in time and do it over, I'd make the same exact choices."  
>She took a heavy breath, slowly exhaling, she shook her head side to side, curls flowing around her face. "You deserved every bit of what you got. So fucking high and mighty, the three of you. Undefeatable, so fucking naïve, thinking you were invincible." She flinched at his words.<p>

"We should have left you there!" She screamed. "You don't even fucking get it! Why do you think you don't remember anything after me, before you woke up? Your father was going to kill you. "  
>Draco froze as her words hit home. The memories came back slowly, but he was unsure of what was real and what was his imagination. He remembered the cold feel of the metal as it connected with his temple, his father standing over him. He remembered wanting to speak but being unable. He could remember watching Harry and Ron, protecting Hermione. And then there was darkness, and noise, buzzing that he couldn't decipher. She spoke softly now.<p>

"He was going to kill you, so we jinxed him. I wouldn't let them leave you. I couldn't go knowing that you were going to die. It was so personal. And even though I hated you, it hurt. You would never save me. They would have killed you regardless, you know that. Why didn't you try to save me?" Tears rolled down her face, and he wanted to wipe them away. His anger with her bubbled and he tried to suppress it. The humanity in him made him feel sick. Here was the reason why she had spoken for him, and never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought of returning that. He was bad, and he knew it.

"Got all that anger out then, Granger? Are you done now?" He sank back into the chair. She wiped her eyes with the backs of her fists, reminding him of a young child. She tried to leave the room, but his voice stalled her. "I shouldn't have said you deserved it. I wanted to help you. I really did, but I don't even know how to help myself."

"It doesn't have to be this way." She whispered, repeating the words he had woken up to. "You can still help yourself, Malfoy, just take the hand that's being offered to you." He focused on a spot outside, jaw set. He ignored her as she watched him, until finally out of the corner of his eye, she retreated. The door down the hall closed, and he was alone again.

* * *

><p>"So." He bit his lip trying to decide how to go on. They were seated in the dining room, Hermione having procured a meal that was more like the kinds they had in the Wizarding world. She looked at him expectantly. It had taken her three days to speak to him again, longer for him to forgive himself, though he wasn't sure that would ever happen. "If I… I don't know, 'help' you guys, what exactly would that pertain to?"<p>

Hermione took a deep breath and licked her lips, pushing her plate away and turning towards him.

"Well," She started, "I don't know all the details of it. The overview I was given was you would be interrogated-"

"How exactly do they plan on-" Hermione raised her hand.

"-Let me finish. You would be interrogated by way of veritaserum, so they'd know you aren't lying. It would be an easy process as you would be doing it willingly, so instead of restraints, most likely they'd come here and do it. Protection would be offered to you and at the end of it all, you would still go to trial-"

"I thought you said there wouldn't be one!"

"Malfoy, _let me finish. _At the trial, with Harry, Ron and I's support, we would vouch that you willingly gave up information that may or may not be detrimental to the death eater's cause and potentially endanger those closest to you, mainly your mother as your father has since been killed. It is almost guaranteed that you would be cleared off any wrong doing, under the pretense that you were not acting out of free will, but because you felt cornered and threatened by your own side. You'd be a free wizard, Malfoy."

Draco took it in, the prospects that if all went right, he'd be able to walk out of this house and never look back or worry about anything ever again.

"What if…they went back on their word?" He seemed to be choosing his words carefully; unsure of what he should ask.

"Well they won't. I mean, let's be honest, if Harry Potter told them all to jump off a bridge, they'd do it." Draco smirked and she gave a small smile. "But, if hypothetically they did, we'd make sure it didn't happen by writing out a contract that would not be able to be broken. We'd cover all the bases, I'd make sure of it." She pulled the plate back to her, and continued eating, sending the message that she was done talking about it.

The intense need to keep her talking overcame him. He needed to hear her voice, needed to know she was in the moment with him. It twisted his stomach and made his heart ache, how badly he wanted to hear her.

"Why did you volunteer to stay with me?" he asked, thinking he was treading in safe waters. Hermione took a deep breath and pursed her lips.

"I 'volunteered' by proxy."

He gave her a confused look, to which her eyebrows raised.

"Basically, there was a meeting. And I, incidentally, was not at the meeting. And incidentally, someone, Ron, volunteered me to stay. Said I'd be more than happy to do it."

"And you weren't?"

"Obviously not." There was a brief silence between them. She played with the fork, disappearing into her head, deep in thought. "Why do you care?" she asked suddenly.

"I was just curious. I figure if I might as well know where you stand on the subject of me."

She laughed darkly, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Did it mean that she was unhappy about him, or unhappy about the situation? He wondered why he always had so many questions about her. Why he found her thoughts so perplexing.

"Why did you protect me?" the question startled both of them. She looked at him apprehensively.

"I told you. It didn't sit well with me to leave you to die." A piece of hair slipped from behind her ear and into her face. Without thinking, Draco reached out and gently pushed it back into place, grazing her cheek softly. The touch made her jumped and she leaned away from him, and for the first time in the weeks since he had come to this place, he saw something in her eyes other than the haunted, empty look she had taken on. She looked frightened and relieved, all of which was quickly replaced with concern. Draco found himself thinking about how she didn't speak very often, and when she did it was to either yell at him, or explain something monotonously. Hermione kept herself frequently in check, stored away where no one could get to her, and Draco wondered what it would take to break through her wall.

"I'm going to bed. Good night, Malfoy." She rose quickly, leaving him to his thoughts as he tried to contain the overflow of emotion he felt. He returned to his room grudgingly, throwing himself on the bed, and trying to calm his head. He thought he knew what she meant when she said she was tired. He was tired to. He no longer had the energy to be cruel to the girl he had spent his childhood tormenting. He no longer felt the want to. All he wanted was to get through each day, and do so without conflict. He closed his eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

_He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her back to him. She spun around and looked up, giving him a sly smile and raising a finger to her lips._

_ "Where are we going?" He whispered._

_ "Away from here." She responded, pulling him along, through the many hallways, left and right, upstairs and down. Had he needed to, he'd never be able to return the way they had come. _

_ "Granger…" She gave him a glance at his voice, shushing him again before tucking them into a hidden corner. "…why me?" _

_ "Because they broke you too. I didn't want to be alone." _

_ "You weren't alone." She seemed to ponder this, no doubt thinking about the people who had risked their lives for her._

"_You were though. No one loves poor itty bitty Draco." She cackled and he ripped his hand away from her. "A father that ruined his family and a mother who never truly cared. Such a sad lost boy." She cupped his face. He tried to pull away from her, but her eyes had turned dark and they intoxicated him. "You have one purpose. To serve others and then they'll get rid of you. No one will ever miss you."_

"_Let go of me." He said, "I don't want this."_

"_You have no choice!" Her voice grew deep and demonic and she laughed again. Again, and again, until his ears felt like they would burst from the sound of it, and he tried to escape her. His hand wrapped around her neck and she gave him a surprised look-_

Draco sat up, breathing heavy, rubbing at his ears. His throat felt raw as though he'd been screaming for a long time. He could make out his reflection in the mirror and it scared him how much he no longer recognized himself.


	4. Chapter 4

He laid awake next to her, tangled in a mess of blankets and arms and legs. He carefully subtracted himself from her. She hummed something inaudible and turned onto her side facing away from him. This was wrong. This all so very wrong and he reveled in it. Their world was fucked up. It had been for years. But here, with her, they could hide from it. They could exist purely for existing and that was okay with him for the moment. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He closed his eyes again, and sighed, before sliding his feet out of bed and onto the cold floor. The wood creaked under his weight, and he glanced at her. She didn't move, snoring lightly, but unaware of his presence. He smiled in spite of himself, slid down into the warmth of the bed, wrapping his arm around her waist. Her hand placed itself on top of is and he allowed himself to sleep again.

The days were rushing by and he kept finding himself with her. Her room, his, the living room, kitchen. Always near her, absolute constant interaction with each other. She panicked if he disappeared for too long, though she'd never admit it. He could hear it in her voice though, the solitary crack as she hesitantly called, "Malfoy?" As though he'd leave her here alone, not that he'd be able to. He worried about her. She had lost a fair amount of weight, and he knew she didn't sleep as often as he did. He regretted asking her about it after a particular morning in the library.

"What do you know, Malfoy? Absolutely nothing that's what. Just keep to yourself and stay out of my business."

"Someone has to look out for you, Granger." He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I can look out for myself." She snapped.

"Obviously."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're so wound up in what they're doing that you don't even stop to think of yourself. When was the last time they even fucking owled you, or clicked that stupid coin you're always toting around? When was the last time they showed a speck of caring for you?"

Her eyes grew dark. "When was the last time any of your lot showed any caring for you?"

"Well Granger, I wouldn't know since you censor any information that comes through here. For all I know they're trying to find me and you don't want me to know because I might rise about and try to overtake you or some shit."

"You know full well-" She pursed her lips. "I don't censor anything, I just-"  
>"Tell me what you think you should but not everything! But I'm aware enough to know that the people contacting you aren't Potter and Weasley. And that they haven't in a very long time. What are you going to do Granger? Stay here? Forever? Just fucking waiting around for someone to come and fetch you. You used to be better than that, or rather, you used to believe you were better than that and you made sure everyone knew that."<br>"And what of you?" She snapped, "Are you still the same person? Still the same cocky, pretentious boy you were?"

Draco fell silent.

"Look," He started, "I just…you lock everything up. You don't talk very much. It's almost as if your holding out this hope, that maybe…"  
>"Maybe what?"<p>

"That maybe they were planning on coming back. That they haven't deserted you. When its really very clear, Granger, that you aren't high on the priority list."

Her eyes pierced him. He though momentarily that she might hit him, or yell, but she didn't. She stood very rigid, as if moving would hurt her.

"You're not very high on anyone's priority list either." She seethed and Draco gave a dry laugh.

"I've already come to terms with the fact that I'm not. I've known it since the day Dumbledore died. Just a means to an end. I had a mission, I failed it. I'm useless."

"So I'm useless now?"

"Did I ever say that? No, I didn't. But as much as it pains me to admit it, Granger, you're bloody clever, but Potter is as well. Yes, you're brilliant, but they are as well. Without you, they might have to struggle a bit, but they can get on without you. Just takes a bit longer. I just don't understand why you stay here."

"They're going to come back."

"They _might_ come back. Are you really going to wait around to find out?"

Hermione huffed, and turned on her heel, leaving him alone in the room. He felt a smugness followed by the guilt of torturing her with the truth. Pushing her, when clearly it wasn't anything she wanted to hear. "_Why pretend?" _He thought to himself.

He was startled by how cold his bed was. And how uncomfortable it was to be alone. That was when he knew that it was no longer about the sex, but the company she brought him. He tried to think about the last time that they were even intimate together, and all he could think of, were the times where she beckoned him to her bed, and they fell asleep wrapped into each other. He refused to believe that he wanted her in his bed, but was willing to admit that someone would be nice.

Draco's thoughts rushed. He missed magic, and the ability to do anything he wanted with the flick of his hand. He wanted to ride a broom and go outside. It had been 3 months since he'd last felt the air. He could see the moon, peering in his window, taunting him. He climbed out of better and moved to the window. He wondered if it would burn him if he opened it, but it was so tempting. He put his hand on the glass and rested his forehead against it, closing his eyes, trying to imagine how cool the night was, how refreshing.

A hand touched his waist, wrapping itself around him, gently and calm. Hermione rested her chin on his shoulder, looking out the window as well. He shifted his head just a fraction of an inch towards her.

"Can we go outside, please?" He murmured. Her hair brushed him as she shook her head. He felt the anger bubble inside of him. "Why the bloody hell not?" There was instant regret as she pulled away from him completely.

"There are no wards set up. Someone could find us." It was reasonable enough, and he felt oddly relieved that she wasn't saying no, just for the sake of telling him no, but because she genuinely meant it, and meant well for their safety. He turned around to face her. She was still dressed, but her hair had come undone and stood awkwardly away from her head, and he felt the wave of sadness again. He smoothed her hair, and pulled her to him, kissing her forehead forcefully. "I'm sorry." She whispered. He shrugged in response, tilting her head up to him and kissing her. They'd find their way out eventually, no matter how it was done.

Hermione was gone in the morning. He had swung his arm over to catch her hip and felt the open bed. He sat up, groggy and disoriented, looking around the room.

"Well good morning sunshine." A very bitter voice came from the corner. Draco rubbed his eyes, and glanced at the person. "Glad you could fucking wake up, Malfoy."  
>Harry lounged in the chair, looking a little worse for wear, twirling his wand through his fingers.<p>

"Potter. " Draco spat. Harry smirked. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah. Doesn't matter. Beside I'm the one who should be asking the question, I think."

"Oh really? And what exactly should you be asking?

"I don't know. Want to let me know how long you've been fucking Hermione?"


End file.
